Each year, I look forward to buying myself a new planner. It makes everything feel fresh, like a world of possibilities awaits me. We’re religious users of our shared Google calendar, but I’m an old-fashioned gal who likes a paper//pencil planner that I can drop in my tote.
For years and years, I used a Lilly Pulitzer jumbo-sized academic planner. It was fantastic in college and in the early years of my career, but it also felt like it didn’t leave enough margin. Last year I swapped out my standard LP planner for an Emily Ley Simplified Planner and I fell in love.
I’ve been a long time lover of Emily Ley and her Simplified message. I own and have read all of her books many times over and we both look forward to our bi-annual ruthless declutter challenge. We’ve adopted her mantra of best, favorite, necessary and it has changed so much about our home and its functionality. It felt natural to try out one of her Simplified Planners last year and I eagerly re-ordered a new Simplified Planner for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Simplified Planners come in several versions (weekly vs. daily and academic year vs. calendar year). Last year I decided on the Academic Weekly planner and this year I made the upgrade to the Academic Daily planner.
Here’s a look at how I used my Weekly Planner:
Prior to a new month beginning, I’d check our family’s Google Calendar and import all of the information into the monthly spread in my planner. Our Google Calendar houses our meal plans, our daily comings and goings, and (of course), the all-important football schedule. We also keep track of our social obligations, civic obligations, and church events in our online calendar.
Once all of those things are recorded in my monthly spread, I take each Sunday evening to transpose everything into the upcoming week’s spread. Coach and I usually do this together with our calendars so we’re on the same page, especially if one of us is working late or Annabeth has a playdate that interferes with football practice.
Having this little meeting on Sunday evenings seems funny, but it’s something we got into the habit of quite some time ago. We love Sally & Clay Clarkson and in The Life-Giving Parent, they talk about the Biblical importance of numbering our days by taking advantage of having a regular planning date with our spouse (and even our children). We feel grounded and ready to tackle the week after we’ve had our Sunday meeting.
My new daily academic edition doesn’t actually begin until August, but I foresee myself filling in each “week” from my monthly spread each Sunday evening because it refreshes all the things I have to do in my brain.
I don’t ever want to wish away my life, but I am looking forward to August when my new planner begins. In the meantime, I’ll stick like glue to my current planner!
Do you still use a paper calendar?
XOXO,
Court
PS: Emily Ley has tons of free printables!
Courtney Callicutt 